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Memnon
Population: 1,235,500 (65% Humans, 10% Dwarves, 10% Elves, 5% Gnomes, 5% Halflings, 3% Half-Elves, 2% Half-Orcs) Government: Plutarchy Religions: All Imports: Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Ore, Timber Exports: Weapons, Armor, Jewelry Alignment: All Life and Society Because of it’s large size, population, and racial and social heterogeneity, Memnon is a place in which there is little inherent racism and discrimination against people based on the factors of their birth, be it race, social class, religion, or any number of other factors. Though often seen as traditional opposites, cosmopolitan Elves live side-by-side with cosmopolitan Dwarves. This liberal attitude regarding such matters has caused, in the past, residents of Memnon to look down on other cultures or places that have trouble seeing past such superficial differences between individuals. That is not to say that there is not any kind of social structure in the city-state, however. There is very much one. Like anywhere else, haves and have-nots exist, and live in relative proximity to each other. Those who are of a lesser social standing are expected to give respect to those who are of a greater social standing than themselves. Those who are of greater social standing, such as nobles, are expected to treat those who are of lesser social standing with basic respect, however. Being a noble is not an excuse to act however you like to those “beneath you”. The large amount of residents of the city has bred an air of informality among the people of Memnon. People have circles of people they associate with, and circles of strangers, people they do not know, and do not associate with. Privacy from intrusions by strangers is preferred. The large population of Memnon has also spurred a complex web of laws that are enforced by both the City Watch as well as the judiciary. Of the many laws of Memnon, the most commonly violated laws are pick pocketing, larceny, and spellcasting in public without a license. Of the various professions that can be found within Memnon, many, if not most, have some sort of guild. Bookbinders, distillers, brewers, bowyers and fletchers, armorers, jewelers, apothecaries- the list goes on and on. Most guilds have some measure of political power and influence, not just in the trade itself, but in the politics of Memnon as well. The same goes for most temples and churches found within the city, and mage guilds. Because every licensed guild has a seat on the Council of Memnon, and, as such, the ability to have a direct impact on laws, guild membership and participation is taken very seriously. One of the more recent trends of the rich residents of Memnon is the bathhouse. In the last few years, bathhouses have become the place where the rich and influential gather and gossip. Most noble family has their own bathhouse, and these bathhouses are often used during meetings with other nobles. Nearly all of the bathhouses get their water from the springs that are underground around Memnon. The bathhouses of the most influential families are supposedly given water by captured water genies. Major Organizations City Watch Consortium Arcanum Silent Blade Assassins Council of Memnon Major Geographical Features Because of its massive population, Memnon has grown exponentially since first being settled, in nearly all directions. Though it’s southern growth has been checked because of the presence of the Southern Sea, it has significantly grown northerly, easterly and westerly. In addition, the city has grown both up and down as well. Numerous buildings within the city are upwards of ten stories in height, and Memnon possesses an advanced sewer system that sprawls beneath the entire city. Memnon is split into five wards: The Sea Ward, The Trade Ward, The North Ward, The South Ward, and The Gold Ward. The Sea Ward, located to the most extreme southern parts of the city, is where ships coming to make port. The Sea Ward is constantly abuzz with activity. Very few residential homes exist within the Sea Ward, and most that do are inhabited by either the very poor, or dockside workers. The South Ward, immediately north of the Sea Ward, is where the majority of Memnon’s citizens live. The South Ward is the largest of Memnon’s five wards. Located in what is close to the center of the city lies the Trade Ward. Trade bazaars of varying sizes and activity can be found throughout the ward. It is said that there is no good that cannot be found in Memnon’s Trade Ward. Like the South Ward, the North Ward is also home to a sizable residential population. The North Ward does not have such a high percentage of commercial shops, as the South Ward, however. Nestled within the northeast reaches of the North Ward is Memnon’s final ward, the Gold Ward. The Gold Ward is home to the majority of the nobility of the city-state, as well as its government. Important Sites The Great Cemetery The Great Hall of Memnon Regional History Memnon, the contemporary city-state, was born in 605, when the Pelurian Alliance of Free-Cities dissolved. Memnon, the city, however, has origins that go back much further than that, however. The site that Memnon occupies has been settled since the days of the Maximillian Confederacy, the government that ruled the area directly after the war with the Dark Cabal of Sephir. Like most of the other towns, villages, and cities in the area, in –1,418, Memnon broke away from the Maximillian Confederation, and formed the Pelurian Alliance of Free-Cities. In 605, when the Pelurian Alliance of Free-States dissolved, Memnon once again claimed its sovereignty. By this point, though, Memnon was an economic powerhouse, because of its location on the shores of the Southern Sea and the surprising diversity the burgeoning city boasted. Slowly but surely, the other independent city-states that appeared when the Pelurian Alliance of Free-Cities became absorbed by Memnon, adding to her increasing size, population, economy, and political power. Memnon’s meteoric rise to power and prominence in the south was checked slightly in 840, when Temoura, a city in Altathair to the north, declared its independence. Though Temoura was located far to the north, on the shores of the Wyvern Sea, until that point, Memnon was the sole economic power in the area. Temoura, another market-driven city-state, would be a direct challenge to Memnon, especially if Temoura turned her interests southward. A great deal of Temoura’s early history as an independent nation involved her relationship with Altathair to the north, so Memnon was able to work out a special relationship with the city-state, so that both would benefit. In 997, Memnon and Altathair signed a treaty between the two, and entered into a covenant known as the Twin-City Alliance. Memnon would stay out of large-scale conflict for its entire history, up until the present, which is remarkable. Periodically, it had to deal with problems with pirates from the Pirate Isles, but, for the most part, Memnon has enjoyed an era of peace that has lasted since it declared its independence.